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22.8.14

Bits & Bobs

I find inspiration anywhere and everywhere. Whether it's for school, for writing, for fashion, or for life in general, I'm always finding things that get me excited. Sometimes I find these bits of inspiration online or in the real world. And I always want to share what I'm excited about with other people. One of my closest friends and I (*cough* you know who you are) are constantly sending each other Facebook messages with links to articles, videos, and even clothes that we find enjoyable or inspirational. It's quite a fun way of communicating, actually.

So here are 5 "Bits & Bobs" that are getting me excited this week (so now I have even more friends to share with!):

This will definitely be the hot topic in the UK over the next month or so. On Thursday, September 18th, just a few days after I start classes, the Scots will be voting on their Independence from the UK. If they gain independence, the Scots will be negotiating with the UK on the terms of their independence. I'm not quite sure where I stand on the issue, because while I've read countless articles on it, I'm not Scottish and I feel that I still don't know enough. But being the raging American liberal that I am, I suppose I should be for Independence... right?

I'll admit it. I'm not much of a book reader. Much less, a fiction reader. Most of my reading takes place online through articles, and if I am reading, I'm usually reading nonfiction. And more often than not, that work of nonfiction will be an autobiography of a comedian.

But I cannot even begin to tell you how great this book is. I was hooked from the start, and author Jess Walter had me engaged through the bitter end. It takes place in many locations- Cinque Terre, Santa Monica, Edinburgh (!!) and Idaho. And it will certainly take you on quite the journey. Walter's writing is as fluid as the Italian seaside and each of the many characters is very distinctive. It's a wonderful summer read for the beach, the pool, or the porch.

I still haven't pulled the trigger on anything yet, but I've become absolutely enamored with the clothes at this store. I've seen Jack Wills before, with its iconic preppy pink and navy stripes, but for some reason I always had it pegged for a kids store. But now that I'm going to the UK for school, I've been introduced to this lovely British gem of a chain-store (my student card gets me a discount there). Reasonable prices and quality materials? My kind of place.

In this video, a woman wears a hidden camera to show how many times she gets harassed in one day. Granted, she is in a "rougher" neighborhood and is wearing what would be considered more "provocative" clothing, but it drives home a point, nonetheless. There are also some really powerful interviews with women who have been harassed on the street before.

Personally, I think this is a big issue that a lot of people don't see. Catcalling is a gateway to bigger actions, and those who say that catcalling is simply a compliment to the woman aren't exactly seeing the whole picture. If you're in for a mega-scroll session, read the comments on the video. It will certainly have you seeing both sides of this issue.

At first, I was convinced that this was an American company, since there's one in New York City. Little did I know that the first Eataly was actually created in Turin, a city located in Northwest Italy, and grew into a successful, international business from there.

If you haven't been to one of Eataly's many locations (only 2 so far in the US, though), let me tell you- it is fab-u-lous. Especially if you love food/grocery shopping as much as I do. My dad thought it was like a super-sized Whole Foods, my mom thought it was like Chelsea Market in NYC, and I thought it was like Wegman's. I think my mom hit the nail on the head with the Chelsea Market comparison.

As soon as we entered the massive store in a somewhat run-down neighborhood in Rome, we immediately started ooing and ahhing at all of the Italian delicacies- from fancy jams and chocolates, to cured meats and delicious cheeses. Then, we spied the little vendors on the first floor of the store, and just had to make our way over to the dessert section. We each had a mini panacotta in a shot glass. Heaven. After that, there were three more floors to explore- the second was filled with pasta (fresh and dried), and the third and fourth consisted of numerous restaurants. Each restaurant featured a certain type of ingredient- cheese, meat, fish, pasta. We were so overwhelmed by all the options, that we ended up going back towards our hotel for dinner instead of eating in-store. Maybe next time!

More Italy updates to come when I arrive home on Saturday night. Just a couple more weeks until the big move!